The Blizzard of '09

It started snowing on Friday night and kept snowing all day Saturday. Total so far is about 24 inches...what fun!

Ponytails!

I've pretty much been waiting for this day since I was a little girl. Little tiny ponytails today, but curls and braids tomorrow! I had to find the most miniscule little elastic things and they are not easy to put in...let me tell ya! But Cassidy was a good sport and held still on these two days while I put the ponytails in. I think she likes them too, for a little while at least.

Bye-Bye Belly, Hello Baby!

This is our new daughter, Bridgette Katherine. Isn't she sweet? Right after we took this picture, she pooped....whew! That was close! I am so happy she's in the world and not in the womb anymore. There are so many things I can do much easier now: give the kids a bath, pick up toys, pick up kids, wash dishes without getting water all over my shirt, eat at the table without getting food all over my shirt, and eat sushi! Not sure why they say you can't eat sushi when you're pregnant, but I didn't and I missed it!

Somersaults!

I'm not sure how Cassidy learned how to do this on her own. One day, all of a sudden, she could do somersaults! She tucks her head and everything. Alex is still working on it :- )

No "P" Words

Driving home from preschool today Alex said, "Mom, you can't bring anything that starts with the letter "P" there. They don't like "P" words." He was looking at the No Parking Signs!

Preschool starts again!

Boy, what a difference a year makes! At the beginning of preschool last year, I would ask, "Alex, what did you do today at preschool?" Usually he'd say, "I don't know." This year I asked him the same question after his first day and he told me about the pretend games that he and Amelia G. and Amelia S. played in the Big Room, that it was Carson's birthday and he brought cupcakes and Spiderman toys, and that at show 'n tell, Mrs. Wampler said his Chinese Yo-Yo was "cool." He is learning and growing up so fast. So here are some pictures of the kids last September and now.

Sept 08

Sept 08

Sept 09

Not even gonna try...

I had so much to catch up on with the blog that I was procrastinating......so, I'm just going to start posting again and pretend that I didn't miss out on major events like our awesome vacation to California to visit John's parents, various summer time fun events, and our wonderful visit to my parents' in Pittsburgh with the kids while John was in Fort Lewis. John is back and life is good. Here are some new pictures of the kids.

Cassidy pretending to be Mommy at her office. (like my new chair? it reclines.)

Alex being his usual happy self! (He's 4 now, another thing I missed!)

Things Kids Say During Thunderstorms

Tonight as I was putting Alex to bed, there was a thunderstorm a little ways away. Loud enough to hear, but not right on top of us. Alex was acting a little scared ... here's how the conversation went:

me: "That's just God making enough rain for all the trees and flowers, just like he made the mountains and the oceans."
Alex: "Aw, I missed it. I never get to see God do anything."
me "Well, God made the mountains and the oceans a long time ago."
Alex: "Well, I want Him to make them disappear, and make them again so I can watch."

Mother's Day Maypole Dance and Tea Party

The Friday before Mother's Day, Alex's preschool teachers had a special Maypole Dance and Tea Party for the moms and their preschoolers. It was so sweet. This Mother's Day was especially cool because it was the first time Alex really "got it." He could sign the card himself, bring me flowers, tell me "Happy Mommy's Day" and I could tell he really meant it. Not that the previous ones weren't meaningful, but there is something about those well wishes actually coming from your child. To my firstborn, Alex: you make me cry, you make me laugh, but most of all you make me proud!

Backwards and Inside Out

The other day I was trying to motivate Alex to get dressed for school - so I reminded him that he gets a sticker on his chart for putting his underwear on, socks and shoes on, etc. Sure they ended up backwards and inside out, but it's a step in the right direction.

Could it really be . . .

Hot? In April? We'll take it.

Shortfall Hike

Given the gorgeous weather this weekend, we drove up to Shenandoah National Park to have a picnic and do an awesome hike to a beautiful waterfall. About 100 meters into the hike, we knew something wasn't quite right when we heard a little voice say "I want to go home." We pressed on for about 1/2 mile, but due to the heat and very rocky trail, we'd be lucky to make the 3 mile hike to the falls and back by dusk. We turned around but we did have a great view from the top!

"It's a monkey!"

This is Cassidy's first three word sentence!! She woke up this morning and I brought her in our room. She looked across the room to the picture frame on the dresser, which had a little monkey on it, and exclaimed, "It's a monkey!" She has been saying other little sentences like "Where's Daddy?" "Where's Awecks (Alex)?" and "Where's binky?" but I thought this one was worth blogging about. Way to go, sweetie!

More Easter Pics

Alex checking out the eggs in his basket.
Pretty bows now stay in Cassidy's hair for .33 seconds.

Cute little bunny.

Alex enjoying the Easter Egg Hunt in our town.

Celebrating Easter

We had a great Easter weekend! My mom and dad drove down to babysit the kids while John and I attended the JMU ROTC military ball on Friday night....and here's the kicker - we treated ourselves to a night without the kids by staying at a local Bed & Breakfast. It was pure bliss to be served breakfast in your room, not have to fix breakfast for anyone else (or wipe yogurt off of the floor) and watch the news! Thanks Mom & Dad!

Grammy & Pap Pap smiling but the kids not cooperating for the camera on Easter morning.

Alex enjoying his new Leapster from the Easter Bunny.

Cassidy and Grammy playing.

Camp Horizons

A family in our Sunday School class works at a place called Camp Horizons, only 15 minutes from our house. They hosted a very fun gathering there this afternoon. John and Cassidy weren't able to come since it was Cassidy's naptime.



First, we fed the ponies and brushed their fur. Alex even kissed one of them on the lips.


Then, we gathered around the campfire for s'mores. Heavenly delicious.



After a wagon ride tour of the camp, we went canoeing. Alex was not much help but we made it back to shore and had a great time!


The lil' guy was all tuckered out by the time we got home.


We arrived home to John and Cassidy mowing the lawn together. Cassidy's holding a little pink toy camera and she's taking my picture as I'm taking hers!

Awake from Hibernation

The beautiful weather this weekend signalled to me that it was time to awake from my hibernation this winter. Yes, hibernation. Why else would I not have blogged in 2 whole months? I awoke to realize Cassidy can now climb on everything...the couch, the highchair, even the big ladder up to Alex's big slide (yikes!). Here are the kids before church today so you can see how much they've grown while we were all hibernating:

Some quotable quotes

One day Alex was trying to throw his little frisbee to me, and it didn't go where he wanted it to go. He said, "Argh, Mom, the frisbee wouldn't listen to me!"

One time Cassidy was very interested in playing with whatever toys Alex was playing with. She was being particularly diligent, despite Alex's attempts to divert her attention. Alex asked, "Mom, how do you make Cassidy go away?"

At Christmastime, Alex would ask to go look at the "activity scene." (nativity scene)

Also around Christmastime, Alex asked, "Does Jesus live in our neighborhood?" "Does Jesus have a car?" "Where does God live?" I told him that Jesus lives in our hearts and God lives up in the sky, or maybe I said up with the stars. So, one time we were doing a puzzle of the solar system with all the moons and stars in the background. Alex said, "Mom, when we put the puzzle together, you show me where God lives."

Catching Up

I haven't blogged in about three weeks so here is the super-condensed version! We had a fabulous Christmas at home, followed by a nice getaway to Deep Creek Lake, MD, and rounded out with a few great days in Pittsburgh visiting family and friends. I will let the pictures tell the story :

The kids pal-in' around on Christmas morning at home.

Alex's first game of Chutes and Ladders, at the condo in Deep Creek. Grammy, Pap Pap, and Aunt Julie sure do have a lot of patience.

The "mountain coaster" at Wisp Resort in Deep Creek. It was super fun - Alex loved it and Cassidy really, really wanted to try it! She kept trying to walk right up to the front of the line and get in the cars.

The kids had a blast with Aunt Julie. She and Alex were bunk mates at Deep Creek. Alex just couldn't figure out why Julie didn't want to get out of bed at 7am with him. "But, it's daytime!" he would say.

Alex being his normal goofy self in front of the magestic Falling Water. We stopped here on our drive from Deep Creek to Pittsburgh since John had never seen it and always wanted to.

Alex enjoying the "water play" floor at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. We aslo went to the Carnegie Science Center and highly recommend both places! Oh, and John and I got in free to both for showing our military ID's!

Pap Pap and Alex making a controlled descent.

Cassidy and Mommy eyeing up the course. Cassidy loved sledriding just as much as Alex did! (by the way, I just tried for the past 30 mintues to get this picture oriented the right way, so you'll just have to turn your head)